Device for sharpening razor-blades.



J. W. LESLIE.

DEVICE FOR SHARPENINGRAZOR BLADES.

APPLICATION FILED MfAR. 20, 1907.

909,097'. l 1 v Patted 3311.5,1909

P2 jj 35 4g 7 (LO ,Y6

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE JAMES W. LESLIE, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, A'SSIGNOR TO LESLIE SAFETY .RAZOR COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

DEVICE FOR SHARPENING RAZOR-BLADES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented Ian. 5, i909.

Application filed March 20, 1907. Serial No. 363,335.

connection with the accompanying drawing,l

is a speciicatiomlike letters on the drawing representing like parts. c

' 'lhis'invention has for its object the production of a device whereby razor blades, and. more especially blades used in safetyrazors may be readily, accurately and rapidly sharpened, thereby meaning honing, stropping, etc., as the case may be.

In the present embodiment of my invention I show and describe a sharpening device particularly adapted to sharpen razor-blades made of fiat, relatively thin steel and provided with a single cutting edge, but some of ,the features of my invention are capable of use in connection. with. other forms of cutting blades. y

The Sharpening device herein comprehends a cylindrical sharpening member or roll, a frame in which it is mounted, means to rotate the roll by movement of the frame along a flat surface a blade-holder and means govl l erning the bladeliolder, vheieby a blade therein. 1s held with its cutting ed against the roll, and lifted and reversed in position prior to a reversal of rotation. o' the sharpening roll. Such il-.eration of the bladeholder is entirely automatic, and it absolutely prevents any cooperation of the blade and roll when the latter is moving in the wrong direction., that is, toward the cutting edge. When the yroll is revolving the blade is held practically tangential thereto, and pressed against the roll with suiiicient force, the roll revolving away from the cutting edge of the bladi As will appear hereinafter when the bodily movement f the frame is reversed the rota tion of the roll is stopped, the bl adeis lifted therefrom and thrown over or reversed while the roll is non-rotating, and after the blade is represented to the roll the rotation. of the 4latter is begun, but in the reverse direction.

The various novel features of my invention will be fully described in the subjoined speciication and particularly pointed out inthe following clalms.

Figure l is a top plan view of a blade member.

sharpening device embodying one form otmy, present invention, supposed to be either moving to the right or'just in readiness to be reversed; Fig. 2 is entend elevation of the device, enlarged, the handle being broken eti; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal Sectional view on the line 33, Fig. l, looking toward. the right 5 Fig. 4 is a transverse section, en.-

larged, on the line lr-4:, Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a detail of a )ortion of the bladediolderfand a part of t ie blade-locking device, to be referred to; l? ig. 6 is a plan view oi a Safetyrazor blade for sharpening which the apparatus is particularly adapted.

In the present embodiment ol my invention l provide a frame comprising preferably circular and parallel ends l connected by a metallic cylindrical shield 2, brazed or otherwise secured to suitable recesses 3 in the ends l, Figs, 3 and 4f. An enlargement 4L. is secured to the shield and has a socket 5 to receive the end, preferably screw-threaded, of a handle 6,-I1`igs.` 1 and 2. Upturncd crescentshaped cars 7 are formed on the tops ofthe ends 1 of the frame, and as shown in Figs. l and 4 the shield 2 comes .up within the ears but is `cut-out at 8 to leave an open. space or clearance, for a purpose to be described. A roll 9 is -ixedly secured to a shaft 10 the ends of which are rotatably mounted in the frame ends l and project beyond the Same, as-clearlyl shown in F ig. 3, the roli having a covering ll of leather, emery, or other suitable 'sharpening material, said roll 4so covered constituting a rotatable sharpening Endwise movement fof the said member is limited by the ends of the frame, between which it is" located,fthe Shield 2 surrounding the greater portion of the cylindrical surface of the sharpeninginember, but 9 exposing it at the opening 8. Disk-like car-v riers are mounted rotatably on the projecting ends of the shaft l0, and as ithe carriers are somewhat different in structural details the will be separately described,

'lhe carrier at one end. oi' the `frame conn, rises a peripherally grooved metal disk 12 iaving a tread 13 of leather, rubber or other suitable material, rotatable on the shaft 10 yand held thereon by aiiat washer 14 pinnedyor Otherwisesecured to the shaft. The vo lposite carrier is made as a grooved ring ll `iav-- mg a tread 16 Similar to the. tread .I3 fdescribed and of the same diameter, said ring -15 being #cured to 4fai-forming part-of adislr lUU ` in thedisk 17, Figs. 2 and 3.

17 peripherally toothed to form a gear 18. Said disk is loosely mounted on the shaft 10 outside and adjacent the right hand end 1 of the frame, vierdng Fig. 3, and is held in place by a 'hat washer 19 lixedly secured to the shaft.. I have provided a lost-motion connection between the sharpening member or or rollt)- will rotate in unison with the disk 17,

and'in the same direction. A

Viewing Figs. l and 2, if the frame be moved to the right the carriers will rotate in the direction of the arrow 22, Fig. 2, and the slot and pin connection will cause rotation of the roll 9 in the same direction. VNow supose that the bodily movement of the frame he reversed, the carriers will be at once rotated oppositely to the arrow 22, but the roll 9 will not be revolved until the disk 17 has made a part revolution, about one-quarter as herein shown, from the position shown in Fig. 2, bringing the other end of slot 21 into` engagement with the pin 20. Thereupon the roll will begin its rotation, but opposite to the arrow'22, Fig. 2, it being thus manifest that the lost-motion connection between the sharpening roll and the roll-snpporting earriers causes a short rest period for the roll every time bodily movement ofthe frame is reversed'. Such rest period. enables me to change or reverse the position of the blade, to be sharpened, with respect to the sharpeningI roll, as will be described, such reversal of the blade being entirely completed before the roll begins to rotate. A second shaft 23 is rotatably mounted in the ears 7 of the' frame, above and parallel tothe rollshaft 10,. and projecting` beyond said ears, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3,. the right hand end ofthe shaft 23 passing directly through the corresponding ear, which latterisre cessed on its outer face at 24, Fig. 3, to re,-

ceive a collar 25 driven tightly onto the shaft. Adjacent the collar a. pinion 26 is mounted on the shaft and frictionally connected' or coupled thereto by a spring 27 coiled around the shaft between the pinion and a retaining washer 23 held on the shaft. Said pinion is in. mesh with an'intermediate pinion 2S) rotatably mounted 'on a stud 30 fixed in the ear, the pinion 29 in turn meshing with the gear 13, whereby rotation is imparted to the pinion 26 in the same direction as that of the gear, but at a much higher speed. When the frictional or yielding conturn therewith, the lip 32'ap reaching close tb the adjacent end of the ro `Said roll or blade-holder 33 has a longitudinal slot 34 therein extending from end to end and ln'a radial plane, adapted t0 receive therein the blade to be sharpened. ln the present structure the blade-holder 'is arranged for a thin, flat blade shaped substantially as in Fig. 6,. the blade 35 having extensions 36 at its ends, each provided with a nick 37 the cutting edge of the blade being indicated at 38. When the blade is applied' to the blade-holder it is dropped into the slot 34, the back-of the blade resting on` the bottom of the slot, herein formed by the shaft 23, andone of the nicks 37 is entered by the lip 32, locking the blade in the holder at that end. Almanually operated locking member is provided4 at the other end, herein shown a second collar '39 having a locking lip 4() toenter the adj aeent nick 37,0f the blade, seeV Fig. 5, said collar being fornied'on a sleeve 41 loosely surrounding the shaft 23 and passing .th-'rough the adyacentear 7 of the frame. The sleeve has a preferably milled head 42 on its outer end, and a coiled spring 43 wound around the shaft 23 vpresses the sleeve inward so as to .maintain the locking collar 39 in its operative position.

When puttin'ga blade into the holder the operator'grasps ,the head 42 and-draws the collar 39 outward, so that .the blade can be. dropped into fthe slot 34 and then the head 42 is re eased. The spring expands, forces the lip 40 into the contigr'ious nick in the blade, and if necessary pushes the whole blade to the right until the opposite lip 32 co operates with the corresponding niek in the blade. The parts are tien in the vposition shown in Fig. and the blade is securely locked in the blade-holder, whereupon the operatorgrasps the handle 6 and rolls the frame backandforth upon a lirm, hat surface. At the very first movement of the4 carriers the gear 1S and pinions 29,- 2G cooperate to throw the bladeholder around in the di rection of movement of the frame, bringing the cutting edge of the blade .against the cylindrical face of the sharpening roll and substantially tangential thereto. The continued movement of the frame causes the 'rotation-of the sharpening roll to act upon the cutting edge of the blade, to sharpen it in an obvious manner. Having arrivedat the end loo of the'movement in one direction the oper' ator' reverses the direction ofnsovement of il) l eoaoev s through an arc over the said shaft and down upon the shar ening roll atthe other side of its center. Tris reversal takes place while the lost-motion between the roll 9 and the connected carrier is being taken u and when the roll again is rotate-d theblade is in proper position to be acted upon.

No matter how rapidly the operator may eiiect the reversal of the apparatus the reversal of the blade is eilected while the sharpening roll is quiescent, that is, non-rotating, so that i-t is impossible forthe roll to turn toward the cutting edge' of the blade. When the blade is brought against the surface of the roll 9 further turning of the shaft 28 and the `bladeeholde-r 313 is stopped., and thereafter the pinion 26- rotates on the shaft 23, as

tent. the operator turns the head 42 to bring the blade into upright position, as in Fig, 5, and then the head is.- pulled outward, disengaging the' locking lip 40 from the nick in the blade. Grasping the blade between thumb v and i'inger the operator moves it slightly to release it from the locking lip 32, and lifts the blade from the blade-holder. By covering the roll 9= with sui-table abrad-ing material the blade may be ground or honed, and for ord-inary use the roll- Will be covered with leather or suitable stropping composition, so that the operation of the apparatus strops the blade.

So tar as concerns thepresentation of the blade to the sharpening roll, and the automatic reversal of the blade when the bodily movement of the apparatus is reversed, my invention is adapted for use with different forms of iiatblades, it being necessary merely to change the details of the locking means to accommodate the particular' shape of the blade to be held in place inthe blade-holder.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown and described, as the same' may be varied in different particulars by those skilled in the art without departing from the 4spirit and scope of my invention as expressed inthe accompanyingr claims.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters '65 `said journals `and having a lost-motion con- 'provided with a hand nection therewith, a gear rotatable with one of the carriers, an oscillatin blade-holder mounted in the frame above t e sharpening member, a pinion having a yielding connection with the blade-holder, and an intermediate pinion between the carrier-Crear and the pinion connected with `the blade-holder, whereby when the direction of rotation of the carriers is reversed the blade-holder will be oscillated in the directionof rotation ofthe carriers to reverse and present the edge of a blade mounted in the blade-holder to the between the latter and the carriersis taken up.

2. In a blade-sharpening device, a frame, a cylindrical sharpening member rotatably mounted thereon, frame-supportin carriers' adapted -to be rolled back and fort upon a fiat surface, a lost-motion connection between the carriers and the sharpening member to rotate it, a blade-holder mounted on the frame adjacent said member, and voperating connections between the blade-holder and one of the carriers, including a pinion having a yielding connection with the blade-holder, reversal of rotation of the carriers cau-sing the blade-holder to oscillate and reverse .the positionr of the blade therein from one to the other side oi' the sharpening member before the lost-motion4 between the latter and the carriers is taken up.

43. In a blade-sharpening device, a cylindrical sharpening member, means to effect rotation thereof by bodily movement above aV plane surface, a blade-holder, a frame in which` it andf the sharpening member are mounted, and means to automatically `reverse the blade-holder before a change in the direction of the sharpening member is eil'ected.

d. In a blade-Shar ening device, a frame le, rotatable supporting carriers for the frame, a cylindrical sharpening member mountedin the frame, means to rotate said member by or through movement. ol' the carriers upon a plane surface, a bladeholder mounted in the frame above the sharpening member, and means to y automatically reverse the blade-holder by a change in the direction of rotation of the car- 'riers and prior to a change'in the direction of rotation ol' the sharpening member.

In a blade-sharpening device, a frame provided with a handle, rotatable supporting carriers l'or the irame, a cylindrical sharpening member mounted in the frame, means to rotate said member by or through movement of the carriers upon a plane surface, a slotted blade-holder'mounted in the iframe above the lsharpening member before the lost-motion reversed and before .rotation of the sharpen- 'ing member is reversed.

6j ln a blade-shar lening device, a frame provided with a hand e, rotatable supporting carriers ioithe frame, a cylindrical sharpening member mounted in the frame, means to rotate said member by or through movement of the carriers upon a plane surface, a shield partly surrounding the sharpening member, a blade-holder mounted 1n the frame and adapted to tangentially present a blade to the action of said sharpening member, and mechanism to reverse the bladeholder automatically prior to a reversal of rotation. of the sharpening member, the Ablade bein0r presented thereto in the space uncovered by the shield.

7. ln a blade-sharpening device, a frame,

a shaft rotatably mounted therein andhav-- ing a rigidly attached stropping roll, sup orting wheels for the frame, loose on the s aft, a lost-motion connection between one of the wheels and the roll, a gear attached -to saidV wheel, a second shaft rotatably mounted in the `frame parallel to and near the roll,. a 4blade-holder fast on said shaft, a pinion frictionally engaging the latter, and a reversing pinion. intermediate Isaid shaft-pinion and the gear, a reversal of the wheels acting through the gear and pinions to reverse the shaft on which the bladeholder is fas-t before vthe lost-motion. is taken. u between the wheels and the stropping rol such reversal' @of vthe blade-holder providingr for the application of a blade held thereby tothe surface of the roll always in the direction of rotation I of said roll.

8. In a device lor sharpening safety-razor blades, a frame, a sharpening roll carried thereby, means to rotate it, ablade-holder slotted to receive the blade and mounted in the frame adjacent the roll, a 'fixed locking member .to engage' one end of' the blade, a

spring-omitrolled movable locking member to engage thc other end of the blade, a lin.- ger-piece connected with the movable locking member, to effect release of the blade by said member and to also turn the, bladeholder into position to receive or permit removal of a l ilade, and means automatically l governing' the blade-holder to lift the blade from the roll prior to a reversal of its direction oi rotation.

9. ln a device for sharpening safety-razor blades, a frame having handle, a sharpening roll rotatably mounted in the frame, means to eil'ect rotation of said roll in the direction oi" movement oi the frame by bodily movement of the latter, a bladeholder mounted on the frame and adapted to present the blade tan entially to the roll sur; face, means to lock tie blade in. the holder, and means to act upon the blade-holder and lift automatically the'blade from the roll, prior to a reversal of its direction of rotation, and then to revolve the blade-holder to presont the blade to the roll atthe opposite Side of its center, y

10. ln a device for sharpening safetyrazor blades, a frame having' a handle, a sharpening roll rotatably mounted in the frame, means to eir'ect rotation of said roll in the direction of movement of the frame by 'bodily movement of the latter, a blade- ,liolder mounted on the frame and adapted to present the blade tangentially to the roll surface, and means to stop rotation of the' roll when movement of the frame is reversed and simultaneously to rock the blade-holder to lil'tthe blade from the roll and re-present .the blade to the roll, but on the opposite side.

face, a blade-holder, and means to reverse it y automatically at each reversal in the bodily movement of the devicel and apply the blade properly to the sharpening member' before the rotation of the latter is begun.

In testimony whereof, l have signed my name t'o this specification, in the presence ol two subscribing Witnesses.

i JAMES W. LESLIE'.

Vllitnesses y i 'JOHN C. EDWARDS,

ELIZABETH R. MonRIsoN. 

